


Soulmates

by Ella_Blue (alice_angel_fic)



Category: Spartacus - Fandom, Spartacus Series (TV), Spartacus Series RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Related, Dan Feuerriegel/Pana Hema Taylor - Freeform, M/M, Nagron, dan/pana - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-08
Updated: 2014-03-24
Packaged: 2018-01-11 15:29:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1174727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alice_angel_fic/pseuds/Ella_Blue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes two souls share a love so strong that neither time nor death can keep them apart. Each time they are reborn they will find each other and keep that love alive. So when a beautiful dark-haired stranger appears out of nowhere to help Dan with a broken down car, the ancient heart of a Gladiator deep inside him recognises the soul of the fierce warrior he once loved in another lifetime, a very long time ago. </p><p>Pairing: Dan/Pana and Agron/Nasir<br/>Warnings: Slash/Language/Real Person Slash</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Dan/Pana and Agron/Nasir  
> Warnings: Slash/Language/Real Person Slash  
> Rating: T and up for now, will change to M later
> 
> In my mind while writing this, Pana looked like he did in the role of David (Most fun you can have dying) 
> 
> Thank you for reading.

It was going to be one of _those_ days, Dan could already tell. It had barely started but it was going downhill fast. There was no hot water when he turned on the tap for his morning shower, he was out of coffee and now the smell coming from the kitchen told him that his toast was burning. And to top it all, he was running late for his audition. 

Still shivering from his cold shower and desperate for caffeine, he arrived at the casting office just in time to hand over his headshots and have a last look at the script before he was called in. 

“Mr. Fewrigee…” the receptionist stumbled on the pronunciation. 

“Feuerriegel,” he corrected her patiently, saying his surname slowly.

She tried again but still managed to butcher his name.

“Just call me Dan,” he said, giving her a polite smile. 

The audition went well and he was confident that he would get the part. He smiled to himself as he left the building and headed to his car. The day had got off to a rough start but things were looking up, and he wondered if he’d have time to grab a cup of coffee before his next appointment. He was already looking forward to the rich mocha aroma and the hit of caffeine, when he turned the key to start his car and … nothing. A click of the ignition, a choked wheeze of the engine and then the sickening silence of a car that wasn’t going to start. 

“Fuck!” he slammed his palm against the steering wheel. “Not now, don’t let me down now, please,” he begged the car. 

Holding his breath, he tried again. The engine started to turn over then died. He glanced at his watch; he still had half an hour before he needed to be at his next audition, so he climbed out of the car, lifted the hood and stood staring at the engine. The engine stared back. 

Dan tried to remember everything he knew about cars, but it wasn’t much. As a teenager he’d preferred playing sports and messing around on his computer to spending time with his father and brothers working on their cars and bikes. He could diagnose a computer problem with his eyes closed, but cylinders and gaskets left him cold. He was wondering whether to call his brother back home in Brisbane, or look up the number of the nearest mechanic and have the car towed, when a soft male voice startled him. The New Zealand accent was strong, but not out of place in a cosmopolitan city like Sydney.

“Need some help bro?” 

Dan turned his head and found himself gazing at a captivatingly beautiful young man. Their eyes met and his breath caught in his throat as the most peculiar feeling of recognition washed over him. He knew he was staring but he couldn’t pull his eyes away. The boy was pretty in a way that men usually aren’t. His eyes were delicately expressive, just a shade darker than light brown. His flawless, dusky complexion spoke of his Maori heritage. Jet black hair framed his face and touched his collar in softly tousled curls. He had a sensual mouth, the corners of his lips lifting in the slightest hint of a smile. Dan blinked and lowered his gaze. He’d never seen this boy before, yet he felt like he’d been waiting his entire life to set eyes on him again, and now that he had, a feeling of pure joy overwhelmed him. There was something so achingly familiar about the young man that Dan felt bizarrely protective of him. He had an overpowering urge to wrap his arms around him, to hold him tight and to thank the gods for bringing him back to him. Was his caffeine withdrawal making him crazy? Or had he finally lost his mind? The man was a complete stranger, why would he possibly want to hug him and shout his joy at their reunion to the heavens?

Even more disconcerting were the strange feelings of attraction stirring up inside him. Dan wasn’t gay, he didn’t find men attractive, he’d definitely never looked at one in a remotely romantic way, and yet his heart was beating faster and his hands were feeling clammy. It alarmed him and disturbed him. He tried to supress these strange emotions but the young man was looking at him in a way that gave him a fluttering feeling in the pit of his stomach. Dan felt dizzy, his head was spinning, he’d never felt anything like this before. He licked his dry lips and decided that he definitely needed that cup of coffee now.

“You know about cars?” he managed to ask, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. 

“Probably more than you do,” the boy replied with a mischievous chuckle. The corners of his eyes crinkled as his lips split in a bewitching smile. Dan’s heart skipped a beat. If the youth had been beautiful before, he was utterly breathtaking when he smiled. 

“Most people, living and dead, know more about cars than I do,” Dan admitted, returning the stranger’s smile. 

It was the boy’s turn to look bewildered and disconcerted now. His eyes fell on Dan’s dimples and he made a conscious effort to look away, swallowing hard. 

“I can take a look if you want,” he offered without meeting Dan’s gaze again. 

“Knock yourself out,” Dan replied, stepping aside to give him a better view of the engine. 

“Can you try to start it again? I want to hear what it does.”

Dan nodded, got back into the car and turned the key. The engine spluttered then died just like it had before. 

“Probably your leads or your sparks,” he heard the boy’s voice call out. “Have you got a rag or something?” 

Dan didn’t even have a tool kit in the car let alone a cloth, but as his eyes cast over the interior he found a serviette from yesterday’s drive-thru lunch that had fallen on the floor. 

“Will this do?” he asked, waving the napkin between two fingers as he went back to the front of the car.

The pretty young man nodded and took it from him. He had already unclipped a thick, insulated wire from the engine and was examining it. 

“See this carbon build-up?” he said pointing to the copper connector attached to the end of the wire. “That’s your problem right there; it happens a lot in humid weather.” He used the paper serviette to clean it, then clipped it back in place. “Try it again, I think she’ll start now, but you should take it to a garage and get the sparkplugs checked anyway.” 

Dan got back into the car and started it. The engine roared to life and he let out a whoop of relief; he would make his next audition after all. He was just about to get out of the car again when the hood closed with a loud thud and he looked up in time to see the boy wave and start walking away. Shoving the car in gear, Dan pulled off and drove slowly along the curb until they were level. 

“Hey thanks mate, I really appreciate it,” he called out window. 

“No worries,” the boy relied, flashing another dazzling smile. 

“Can I give you a lift somewhere?” Dan asked.

“No I’m just on the next block, thanks,” the youth called back, waved again and turned down a side street without looking back. 

Dan pressed down on the accelerator and the car pulled off, he glanced in the rear-view mirror catching a glimpse of the young stranger’s retreating back. He pushed a disk into the CD player and started singing along to his favourite Metallica song, then he suddenly banged his fist on the steering wheel again. 

“Fuck! I didn’t even get his name,” he groaned out loud.

XXOXX

Three days later Dan found himself back at the casting office for a call-back. His usually sunny and spontaneous smile was missing as he sat down in the waiting area and read through the new script he’d been given. Ever since the day he’d had car trouble he hadn’t been able to shake the cloud of depression that hung over him. Deep inside he felt an inexplicable sense of loss, as if he was in mourning for someone. Even his agent had noticed his lack of enthusiasm when she phoned him to say he had almost certainly got the part he wanted. When she met him for lunch the day before, she’d been shocked at how he stumbled over the lines that he should have memorized by now. She’d had to snap her fingers in front of his face to draw his attention back to the table.

“What’s up Dan?” she had asked. “Your mind is all over the place, you’re staring into space like you’re waiting for something to happen.”

“Sorry Cherub,” he had sighed in response, using the nickname he’d given her when she’d first signed him up, but the mischievous sparkle in his eyes was gone. “Don’t know what’s wrong, I can’t concentrate lately. I’ve not been sleeping well either. I just feel down in the dumps, it’s like, I don’t know… I’m kinda heavy inside, you know?” 

“Your pacemaker playing up?” she’d asked with concern.

“No, I had my check-up last month and it’s all good. I’m just…. I don’t know…just… sad, and it feels like a part of my soul has been…” he had a faraway look in his eyes as his gaze drifted back to the horizon and his voice dropped away before he’d finished the sentence. 

“Maybe you’re homesick?” she had said, gently laying her hand on his arm. “Perhaps you should go home for the weekend and visit your family. The agency will be happy to pay your travelling expenses until your next job comes in.” 

But Dan had just shaken his head. “I talk to Mom and Dad on the phone all the time, I miss them but I’m not homesick. I just feel… depressed.”

“Well I still think a bit of home cooking and time with your family will do you good. Go and see them and if you still feel like this when you get back, maybe a visit to the doctor wouldn’t be a bad idea.” 

Dan had nodded and forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes the way his exuberant, dimple-cheeked grins usually did.

X

“Mr. Feuerriegel? Dan? _Daniel_!” the receptionist at the casting office called across the room, trying to get his attention.

“Hmm?” Dan replied, shaking himself out of his melancholy daydream. 

“We’re running a bit late; we still have a couple of read-throughs to do before we’ll be ready for you. Do you have another appointment to go to or can you wait?” 

“Uh, no I can wait,” Dan said with a distracted nod of his head. 

He looked around the room and noticed his surrounds for the first time. Sitting opposite him were two blonde girls both silently mouthing the words from the scripts they were reading. Their facial expressions were comical as they practiced different ways of delivering their lines. Dan found no amusement in watching them. His heart was heavy and a depression unlike anything he had ever known had sucked all the joy out of him. On the couch under the window, a red-haired woman had left her script lying on the cushion next to her and was busy texting on her phone. Across the room, in the opposite corner, three young men were huddled together, their voices little more than a soft murmur as they practiced their lines together. They had their backs to Dan and their heads were down. He had a better view of two of them, the third one was obscured by his friends and Dan only caught a glimpse of his shoulder. He watched them for a while until he felt the now familiar constricting of his throat, and the back of his eyes began to prickle with tears. The urge to weep had crept up on him suddenly and often in the last two days. He took a deep breath and blinked away the tears. Why was feeling like this he wondered? He needed to get a grip and pull himself together, but how could he do that when he felt so utterly bereft? Dan swallowed the lump in his throat and turned his attention back to his script as the receptionist called out the names of next people to go in for their audition.

“Evans, Hema-Taylor and Kara, reading for the part of Hayze,” she ticked the names off her list as the three boys in the corner got up and walked down the short passage to the Casting Director’s office. 

Dan glanced up as they went. He saw only their backs but the third boy, the one he hadn’t been able to see properly, grabbed his attention. There was something about him, something so familiar that Dan couldn’t keep his eyes off him. Like the other two, he had come dressed for the part they were auditioning for. He wore a pair of faded jeans, a black leather jacket and a t-shirt which was half tucked in and half hanging out. On the back of his jacket was a gang patch; red and white with a horse’s head inside a circle of words that Dan couldn’t quite make out. He had a well-worn pair of lace-up boots on his feet, and he walked with the attitude of someone looking for trouble and not afraid to find it. His ink-black hair was pulled back in more of a topknot than a ponytail, and slicked with gel to keep the shorter bits from falling loose. A pair of sunglasses covered his eyes and around his neck a red bandana with white markings on it hung in a loose triangle. Behind his ear he had tucked a cigarette. As he followed the other two down the corridor he pulled the bandana up so that it covered the lower half of his face from the bridge of his nose down past his chin. He tugged on the knot at the back to secure it as he disappeared through the door which closed behind him.

Dan’s lips parted in a silent gasp of recognition. The heavy mood that had clung oppressively to him suddenly lifted, and the hole that he’d felt in his soul was gone, replaced by a feeling of joy and hope. Dan realized that he’d been living in a daze of depression since the day that boy had walked over and helped get his car started. That strange sensation of having waited his whole life to find him again had left Dan puzzled, and the brief moments they’d spent together had left him feeling elated. Then, as suddenly as he’d appeared, the boy was gone and as he’d walked away, he’d taken all the joy and promise in Dan’s heart with him. 

Now that he’d found him again, Dan couldn’t keep the grin from his face. The exhilaration threatened to bubble up from his throat and burst from his mouth as laughter. But an even stranger emotion blossomed inside him, a sense of déjà vu, of having been parted from this boy once before, and being brought back to him again. He felt like this had happened already; Dan had felt the ecstasy of this reunion in some distant world, in some past life, long ago. It was a memory held not in his mind, but in his soul. 

For the next half an hour Dan stared at the door at the end of the passageway. The elation he’d felt a moment ago gave way to doubt. What if he was mistaken? What if it wasn’t him? He didn’t look anything like he had a few days ago, and Dan hadn’t got a clear view of his face now. By the time he’d entered the audition room, he’d had the bandana pulled up and sunglasses covering his eyes, and even then Dan had only seen a side view of him. He shook the worry from his mind. It was him, it had to be. Why else had Dan’s heart skipped a beat and his soul rejoiced?

At last the door opened and the three youths reappeared. The receptionist looked up as they approached and reached for a folder on the edge of her desk. 

“Pana, will you check your contact details for me please? We had a hard time getting hold of you yesterday,” she said, pushing the file towards one of them.

He pushed the sunglasses on top of his head with one hand and pulled the bandana mask down with the other. Dan heaved a sigh of relief. It _was_ him. There was no mistaking those eyes, that mouth and the perfect line of his nose in profile. 

The boy glanced at the papers and shook his head. “This is my old phone number, I’ll give you my new one,” he said. 

Before Dan could stop himself, he’d pulled his own phone out of his pocket and was punching in the numbers as the boy dictated them to the receptionist. 

_Save number to contacts?_ his phone prompted. Dan pressed yes. The name box popped up, and his finger hovered for a moment, then pressed the letter N and clicked save. It made no sense and he didn’t know why he’d done it, but saving the number under the initial N, well, it just felt right. He shoved the phone back in his pocket just as the boy began to walk towards the door. Dan felt his heart beating faster, his mouth was dry and he licked his lips as he called out to him.

“Hey,”

The young man turned his head, his eyes widened and an expression of joy and relief passed over his face. The smile he gave Dan was electric. 

“Hey bro,” he said back. “How’s the car?”

“All sorted,” Dan replied. He knew he had the goofiest grin on his face, but he couldn’t help it, nor did he care. “I had it serviced yesterday and it’s running like a dream now. Uh, listen, I never really thanked you properly for your help the other day. Can I…” he wanted to say, take you out to dinner, but that sounded too much like asking for a date. It took him a second to come up with something more suitable. “Can I buy you a beer?” 

“Daniel, Mr. Fraser is ready for you now. Would you go through to his office please,” the receptionist cut into their conversation. 

Dan acknowledged her with a nod but didn’t take his eyes off the boy as they continued to smile at each other. He held his breath and waited for the answer. 

“Sure,” came the reply Dan had hoped for. “I’ve got some stuff to do, but I’ll meet you back here in an hour.” 

Dan nodded, still beaming and extended his hand, “I’m Dan,”

“Pana,” the boy smiled back, reaching out to shake Dan’s hand. 

Dan had often heard people say they’d felt a spark of electricity when they touched someone, but this was different, this was like a bolt of lightning, like a chasm in the universe had opened up and mysterious things had come shooting through it. Thoughts were tumbling through his mind the moment their hands gripped each other. He saw places, he saw people, and he saw Pana. Only it wasn’t Pana, he had the same face, the same eyes but his hair was longer and he was covered in mud and blood. There was a long-haired blond man wielding two swords and laughing like a madman, and a dark haired woman shooting a bow and arrow. He heard the guttural roar of battle-cries and felt the exhilaration of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He saw the man who looked like Pana holding a spear, he was hissing and roaring as he ran into a throng of people and Dan was filled with inexplicable pride. Then he heard the whisper of gentle words and the visions changed, the sights and sounds of other people vanished, he saw only Pana’s beautiful face, his mouth open in a sigh of pleasure. Dan was lying on top of him, gazing down into eyes that returned his stare with complete trust and love, his fingers touching lips that were begging to be kissed. 

Dan’s arm jerked as Pana suddenly pulled his hand away and made a small gasping sound. The connection was gone, and so were the visions Dan had seen. There was a surprised look on Pana’s face; the colour of his cheeks was heightened by a deep blush. He blinked, gave a quick, bashful smile and walked away. Dan watched him go, then picked up his things and walked into the office to re-read for the part that he was certain was going to be his. 

 

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Pana stood in the shower letting the water rinse the lather from his hair. His mind whirled from one crazy thought to the next. Breathing deeply, he tried to clear his head and decided that it was either time to drink less, get more sleep, or cut back on the smoking. Or maybe all three, because things were starting to get weird. 

Three days ago he’d walked down the street and laid eyes on a man who made his heart sing with joy. He had stared in shock and heard himself whispering the words, _‘There you are at last! The gods return you to me._ ’ He thought he’d gone mad but he found himself magnetically drawn to the tall, handsome stranger. Up close he was mesmerized by his sparkling green eyes and melted at the sight of his deeply dimpled cheeks. And as he walked away from their brief encounter, every fibre in his body had been screaming, get his name, get his number, find out where he lives. Pana had put his head down and kept walking. It was too creepy to ask for the details of a man he’d only helped with a broken down car and spoken to for less than five minutes. 

Every day since then he’d hung out near that spot trying to find the car again, but the gorgeous man had never reappeared. Then this afternoon, walking out of his audition they’d unexpectedly met again, and Pana had to quell the urge to run into his arms and hug him tightly. When they shook hands, he’d had visions of things he didn’t understand. He’d seen the guy, big and brooding, looking fierce and shouting at someone. Then he saw the man turn and their eyes met. The man’s expression softened, he smiled affectionately, his eyes glowing with love. He saw people from a time long past, and places that he felt he knew well, but had never visited before. These visions had shot through his mind in the space of a second, but the one that stayed with him, lingering in his thoughts was the image of that handsome face looking down at him. He’d had the impression of their bodies pressed tightly together, sweat-slicked and breathing heavily. Standing in the casting office he’d been able to feel the weight of the man’s body pressing down on him. And he had loved the sensation of it.

Turning off the shower, Pana squeezed the water out of his hair. He dried himself and pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt, then towelled his hair and ran his fingers through it. He left his hotel room and walked the two blocks back to the casting office where he’d promised to meet Dan. 

Dan… even the name had come as a surprise to him. He’d been expecting something different, he didn’t know what, but when Dan said his name, it wasn’t the one Pana had been expecting to hear.

***

Dan was ecstatic when he stepped into the late afternoon sunshine. He’d got the part he wanted and now Pana was waiting for him, leaning casually against the side of his car. They drove the five blocks to Sydney’s beautiful harbour, chatting about this and that. He discovered that Pana had a playful sense of humour and laughed easily at the slightest thing. He also found out how delightfully wonderful the sound of his giggle was. Dan kept glancing sideways at him, still fascinated by how pretty he was. He had changed out of the clothes he’d worn for the audition and now wore a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt with a cartoon character on the front. The red bandana he had masked his face with was now wrapped around his right wrist. Dan guessed that he’d showered because the ends of his hair were still damp and curling against the neck. Earlier that day, as well as the first time they’d met, Pana had been wearing a jacket, but now in short sleeves, Dan could see the beautiful Maori tribal tattoo that covered three quarters of his left arm.

Rush hour traffic was building up, and they struggled to find a parking place when they got near the waterfront and had to walk the last block to Dan’s favourite waterside bar. They managed to get a table out on the upstairs balcony with a beautiful view of Sydney’s iconic bridge in one direction, and the Opera House in the other. 

By the time they were on their second beers the sun was setting and they were happy to sit in companionable silence, watching the peaceful end of the day give way to evening. Dan felt happier and more relaxed than he had in a long time. 

“Can I ask you something?” Pana said, taking another swig of his beer. “This is going to sound weird but do we know each other? I mean have we met before or something? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before the other day, but I kinda have a feeling that I’ve known you for a long time.”

“Funny you should say that,” Dan replied. “I had the same feeling too. When you came over to look at my car, I felt like I’d been waiting my whole life for you to appear. That sounds insane, doesn’t it?” 

“Actually it’s a relief,” Pana laughed, “I was starting to think perhaps I’d met you before on a boozy night out and couldn’t remember anything about it.”

“Does that happen to you a lot?” Dan teased him with a wink and big smile. “Drunken nights that you don’t remember the next day?”

“It’s been known to,” Pana replied, looking bashful then bursting into laughter. 

Neither of them mentioned the visions they’d seen when they shook hands earlier, but they were both thinking about it. Instead, they talked about music and their favourite sports teams, their childhoods and families, and how they got interested in acting. They swapped stories on their previous acting jobs, Pana’s in a couple of short art-circuit films in New Zealand, and a small role in a film called Boy that had developed something of a cult following, much to everyone’s surprise. Dan was embarrassed to admit that although he’d heard of the film, he hadn’t seen it, but he felt better when Pana said he’d never watched any of the Australian shows that Dan had been in. They toasted Dan’s success in landing his new role and drank to Pana’s forthcoming film project which he was very excited about. He told Dan it was going to be filmed in both New Zealand and Europe. 

“What’s it about?” Dan asked.

Pana explained the storyline about a terminally ill man, his role as the guy’s best friend and how the young patient steals the money raised for his treatment and decides to go out with a bang instead. It only started shooting in three months’ time, which was why he was in Australia for a week, auditioning for small parts that could be filmed quickly to fill in the time between now and then. He was looking forward to the project immensely but he still needed to earn enough money to pay his bills and feed himself in the meantime. 

“Hey, do you want to get something to eat or do you have dinner plans already?” Pana asked as he swallowed the last of his beer. “There’s a good Thai place quite close by.”

Dan happily accepted the invitation. He didn’t have plans but if he had, he’d have cancelled them. He paid for their drinks and they walked along the promenade to the restaurant. It was busy but still had a couple of free tables. Halfway through the meal it struck Pana how comfortable he felt in Dan’s company. He enjoyed being around people but he preferred his close-knit circle of friends and family to the company of strangers. He was usually a bit shy when it came to new people and only really warmed to them once he’d got to know them over time. But Dan was different, he still couldn’t get used to the fact that they’d only just met, and this was the first time they’d really spent time together and talked to each other. 

After the meal, neither of them could find a believable excuse to extend the evening further, and since they were both tired after a long and emotional week, they called it a night and Dan drove Pana back to the small hotel where he was staying. 

The awkward moment came when they arrived there and it was time for Pana to get out of the car. His hand hovered on the door handle and he looked like he was searching for the right words to say. Dan had an almost irresistible urge to slide his arms around him and hug him. And for a fleeting, heart-stopping moment he even considered giving him a soft, tender kiss. Instead, he gripped the steering wheel tighter and supressed the impulse to reach out and touch Pana. 

“Are you free tomorrow?” he asked. 

Pana shook his head. “I’m an extra on something being filmed over at Bondi, I think it’s gonna take the whole day so I won’t be back until late, but I’ve got nothing planned for the next day if you want to get together. Give me your number and we can sort something out.”

They exchanged numbers; Dan making a show of punching Pana’s into his phone even though he’d already secretly taken it down earlier. Then they found themselves in silence again and looking into each other’s eyes, their heads slowly inching closer. Dan’s gaze grew intense and he felt himself start to breathe a fraction faster. Pana’s eyelids fluttered closed and his lips parted ever so slightly, then he suddenly drew back with a self-conscious giggle. 

“I never kiss goodnight on the first date, you won’t respect me in the morning,” he joked with a playful wink and a smile that lit up his whole face. He reached up, slid his hand behind Dan’s neck and pulled his head forward until their foreheads gently bumped against each other. “Thanks for the beer,” he said as he eased back and got out of the car. 

Dan was grateful that the awkward intensity of the moment had been broken, and he loved the gesture of touching their heads together. He smiled and called out playfully through the open car window after Pana. 

“So this was a date then?”

“It only counts if you call me tomorrow,” came the cheeky reply. 

He watched Pana as he walked into the hotel lobby and disappeared, but this time he felt no sense of panic or loss, only a bubbling feeling of happiness and the tingle of hope for what tomorrow would bring.

***

Dan was woken in the morning by a phone call from his mother. She’d been worried about how down and depressed he sounded earlier in the week, but this morning his voice was chirpy and his old, cheeky sense of humour was back.

“I got the role in that police detective series I told you about,” Dan said. 

“Good on you sweetheart, we’re proud of you. What’s your storyline?” his mother asked. 

“My character is a guy called Brian,” Dan told her. “He’s the son of the police chief and a promising athlete with a sports scholarship and the talent to play professionally one day. His father has just busted a mob drug ring and put the gang boss behind bars. The gang comes looking for revenge and my character gets caught in the crossfire. He ends up with a bullet in the spine and is paralysed from the waist down. The show is about how my character’s father goes after the mob members one by one. And my storyline is basically how Brian copes with his injuries and being in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He has a best friend who he’s very close to, and who helps him through everything. But it turns out his friend has mob connections and might have had more to do with the shooting than anyone realizes.”

“Sounds like a complex story,” his mother said.

“I’m really looking forward to it, it’s going to be a challenge to play, not just physically, but emotionally too. Brian’s got to deal with a lot of stuff when he finds out his best mate is probably responsible for what’s happened to him.” 

“And the love interest?” came his mother’s questioning voice over the phone line.

“There’s no love interest. I’ve just told you, it’s about an athlete with his whole career ahead of him, whose life gets destroyed by a tragic accident. I spend three episodes in a hospital bed and the next four in a wheelchair, there’s no love interest in the story,”

“Not your character you silly egg… _you_.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Mom,”

“You’ve met someone, I can hear it in your voice Daniel. You haven’t sounded like this since the last time you were in love.”

Dan burst out laughing. The last time he’d fallen in love had been with a girl in high school and he’d dated her for three years until he dropped out of university to pursue a career in acting. Since then he’d enjoyed flirting and had been on a few dates with girls he had worked with, but nothing had come of any of it. He assured his mother that there was nobody special in his life, and the last thing he had time to do was fall in love or have a relationship. They talked for a while longer then she handed the phone to his father and they chatted until his sister said she wanted to have a word too. An hour later he’d spoken to all his siblings, shared all his news and heard all the gossip from back home. 

After he hung up the phone he lay back in his bed, his arms folded behind his head and pondered his mother’s words. She had triggered a memory deep in his mind, and as he lay there and thought about it, he started to remember more.

In the visions he’d seen the day before, he’d seen himself with the beautiful, longhaired warrior who had Pana’s face and beguiling smile. He remembered gazing down at him, he remembered their bodies pressed together, naked skin touching warm, naked skin. And he remembered how his heart had swelled with love. Suddenly he realized those were not just fleeting images that had flashed through his mind yesterday, they were memories. He was starting to remember long forgotten things. He could recall another place, another time, another life. And he remembered being in love with the man in his vision. Hopelessly and utterly in love with him. 

To be continued……


	3. Chapter 3

Pana was bored. Thoroughly bored, and starting to get irritated with a lead actor who was so hung over that he couldn’t remember his lines. They had shot and reset the same scene eight times already and still didn’t have more than three lines of useable dialogue. Anybody who said acting was exciting and glamorous had never been on a film set, he thought. Most of your day was spent hanging around and waiting, especially if you were only an extra on set, which he was today. But he wasn’t complaining, the weather was glorious and he was getting paid to spend the day at the beach. 

When they finally broke for lunch, more than an hour later than they should have, Pana switched on his phone to see if there were any messages from his agent about the part he’d auditioned for. There was nothing about the acting role, but there was a text message from Dan. 

_Having fun??_

_No._ Pana replied, followed by a smiley face. _Lead keeps fluffing his lines. Redone scene a dozen times, still got two more scenes to go. Gonna be here forever!_

He pressed send and went over to the buffet table to get something to eat. His phone beeped almost immediately with Dan’s reply.

_Ah, the joys of life on location! What time will u be back? Wanna catch a movie later?_

Pana smiled broadly. He wanted to spend more time with Dan and he’d been wondering how to suggest seeing him again. Dan had just solved that problem with an invitation to the cinema, but he already had plans that evening to go for drinks with some old friends he’d met again on the set, so he suggested they go the next night instead. 

The reply came back quickly. It was a sad-face emoticon. 

Pana laughed. _Cheer up buttercup,_ he replied and pressed send. 

A few moments later his phone bleeped again. _Pick you up at eight tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day Little Man._

Pana stared at the screen as he lifted a forkful of food to his mouth and began typing his reply.

_Little Man?? WTF?? Don’t fucking call me that!_ He ended it with a laughy-face and a tongue-pulling smiley. 

When Dan’s reply came back it was just one character, a simple X

Had he mistyped it? Or had he just sent Pana a kiss? Pana turned the screen off as a few more people sat down at the table and began chatting to him.

***

At eight o'clock the next night Dan was waiting in the parking lot outside Pana’s hotel. They left the car there and walked a block to the cinema to catch the eight-thirty film.

“How long are you staying?” Dan asked as they strolled along. 

“Staying?” 

“Here in Sydney,” 

“It depends how much more work I can get,” Pana replied. “If I get the role in the police series, I’ll stay to do that. Right now my room is booked until Monday so if I don’t get any call backs or any more auditions in the next two days, I suppose I’ll be heading back then.”

Monday. Dan’s heart sank. It was Friday now, that only left the weekend. “When will you hear about the part?” he asked. 

“I thought they’d have let me know by now,” Pana said. “I called my agent this afternoon but she hasn’t heard anything. She said she’ll ring them again tomorrow and try to find out what’s going on.” 

Pana looked worried and Dan had an uneasy feeling of panic rising up inside him. The sensible side of his mind told him that New Zealand wasn’t on the other side of the world. It only took three hours by plane to get there, and phones, emails and skype made it easy to stay in touch. But his gut and his instinct told him not to let this beautiful boy out of his sight.

After the movie they caught the shuttle bus to Circular Quay and walked over to The Rocks, but being Friday night the area was seething with people. There were queues in all the restaurants, and the bars were so crowded that they couldn’t hear themselves speak, so they ended up having a beer and communicating by lip-reading and hand signals while they waited for a table to become free. 

It was after 1am when they finally got back to Pana’s hotel. They stood next to Dan’s car, neither of them quite sure how to say goodnight. Dan smiled shyly as Pana reached up and slid his hand around Dan’s neck, pulling his head down until their foreheads touched. But unlike the last time, they didn’t just bump together and pull apart, they stayed touching, Pana’s hand resting on Dan’s neck. 

He heard Dan sigh, then strong arms circled around him, pulling him into a tight hug. His head tilted sideways and came to rest on Dan’s shoulder, his nose pressed to Dan’s neck, breathing in the spicy scent of his aftershave. But there was something more than the fragrance of cologne and soap that his nose was picking up, there was a trace of something more earthy and sharp. Pana could smell old leather, the pungent, metallic hint of spilled blood and the dry dust of faraway roads that had been travelled long ago. Dan’s arms gripped him tightly and his hand slid up Pana’s back, his fingers threading into his hair and pressing his head tighter to Dan’s shoulder. His own arms snaked around Dan’s back and clung to him. 

The sounds he heard weren’t the passing cars or the chorus of drunks making their way up the road, but instead the voices of people speaking in unfamiliar tongues. He heard names that he thought he recognised and caught the faint odour of wood smoke in the air. He heard a voice, Dan’s voice, only it wasn’t quite him speaking. It seemed to come from somewhere deep inside Dan, from his soul, and it spoke straight to Pana’s heart.

“I would have you stay at my side,” it said. 

“As would I,” Pana whispered softly back. “My place is forever with you.”

He felt Dan squeeze him tighter and Dan’s lips pressed into his hair, kissing the top of his head. In that moment Pana knew he was loved, and always had been. Longer than he could remember, longer than he had been alive, for as long as his soul had existed, he had been loved. 

But as suddenly as he had fallen into the hallucination, he was pulled out of it.

“Fuck... Sorry… I don’t know why I did that…” Dan was holding him at arm’s length looking mortified and embarrassed at having hugged him and held him.

But Pana’s smile was soft as he looked into Dan’s eyes, he saw through his physical body, right into his soul. The soul of a man he had loved a long time ago, a man he had always loved, a man he would continue to love until the end of time.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he said, his voice little more than a whisper. The words came from deep within his soul, from a part of it that yearned to be reunited with the one it loved.

There were tears welling up in Dan’s eyes when he heard Pana’s words and his lower lip began to tremble. He remembers, he thought, and his heart was flooded with relief. He blinked the tears away as Pana’s hand touched the side of his face, his thumb stroking Dan’s cheek. 

Then with a smile and one more caress of Dan’s face, Pana blinked and the faraway look he’d had in his eyes was gone. The ancient warrior that had stirred inside him fading away and leaving him standing in the present, the sound of traffic and modern voices in his ears, the smell of exhaust fumes and food from a nearby restaurant in his nose. He looked a little confused as he smiled at Dan again then turned and walked away, crossing the car park and disappearing through the door of the hotel. 

“I’ve missed you too Nasir,” Dan whispered into the silent night air after him.

*** 

Saturday morning found Dan at a photo-shoot getting new pictures and headshots for his portfolio. The session went well and by the time the photographer said he was done it was almost three o'clock and Dan hadn’t eaten all day. He phoned Pana.

“Where are you?”

“Bridge Street,”

“We’re just wrapping up here. I’m starving, do you want to get a late lunch? I can be there in about twenty minutes.” 

“I’ve eaten already, but I’ll have a beer with you,” Pana said and gave Dan the name of a nearby restaurant. 

When he got there Pana was already at a table, a half-finished beer in front of him and he was busily jotting things down on a paper napkin. Dan peeked over his shoulder and saw columns of figures that he was adding up and subtracting. 

Pana didn’t know he was there until he felt a hand touch his shoulder as Dan swung around the table and took a seat opposite him. He looked up and his eyes widened at the sight of the gorgeous Australian. He was still dressed from his photo-shoot in a pair of faded jeans, they were a snug fit, showing off his muscular thighs, and leaving little else to the imagination. He was wearing a crisp white shirt, the buttons undone halfway down his chest, exposing an enticing view of smooth, tanned skin. His hair had been gelled and stood up more spikey than usual. They had put just enough makeup on him to make him look flawlessly glowing but not enough that you could tell he really had any on. He was a vision, stunningly handsome and he had turned more than one head when he walked into the restaurant. 

“Wow,” was all Pana said as Dan sat down and smiled at him. 

Dan chuckled and blushed. “If that’s your bank balance you’re working on there, you’re definitely paying for lunch today,” 

“I wish I had this amount,” Pana laughed and shook his head. “My agent called, I didn’t get the role of the drive-by shooter. They wanted me for the part, but I’d have to shave my head for it. I’ve got no problem doing that except I’ve got my movie coming up and I need to look like this for the role of David,” Pana said, pointing to his hair. “It wouldn’t grow back in time.”

Dan made a sad puppy-dog face, sticking out his bottom lip and batting his eyelashes. Pana playfully swiped a hand at him. 

“But hey, there’s good news too. They liked me so much they offered me the part of Richie instead.” 

“My character’s best friend?” Dan asked, his face brightening into a wide smile. 

Pana nodded. “But the problem is they only start shooting those scenes in four weeks’ time, so now I’ve gotta figure out if I hang around here or go home. It’s a toss-up between a month’s rent or the airfare home and back.”

“And?” Dan asked, scrutinizing the rows of figures Pana had written down. 

“It works out pretty much even as far as money is concerned,” Pana replied. “Either way, it’s more than I can afford right now,”

A waitress arrived at the table handing them a menu each. Pana waved it away saying he wasn’t going to eat but he ordered another beer. Dan scanned it quickly, but ordered what he always did, a cheese and bacon burger, and a beer. The waitress disappeared and came back a moment later bringing their beers and a side plate with a knife and fork neatly wrapped in a napkin on it. She set it down next to Dan. Why do they give you a knife and fork to eat a hamburger, he wondered, but he smiled at her and acknowledged it with a nod of his head. 

“So what do you think you’ll do?” he asked Pana

“I’d really like to stay, I’ve got a better chance of getting more acting work here, but accommodation is a killer. If I go home, there’s the airfare to consider, but I can stay with my family for free and I’ve got a friend in my hometown who owns a bar, I’m sure he’d give me a few shifts for a bit of extra cash. ” 

“If you want to,” Dan began cautiously, taking a swig of his beer. “You could come and stay with me. My flat’s small, it’s only one bedroom but I’ve got a huge sofa and my friends tell me it’s very comfortable to sleep on.”

“Did you miss the bit where I said I can’t afford to pay rent?” Pana replied.

“You wouldn’t have to pay rent,” Dan said with an encouraging smile.

“You’d just let me move in for free?” 

Dan nodded. 

“Chur!”

“Actually I don’t pay rent either,” Dan confessed, “When I dropped out of university to take up acting, my folks made a deal with me; they would use my college fund to support me for a year while I tried to establish a career. If after year I still haven’t made a go of it, I have to go home, go back to university and pay for my education myself. 

“Wow, you have incredible parents,” Pana said, staring at Dan with wide eyes.

“I’m very lucky,” Dan admitted. “And I’m very grateful for their support. It’s also fantastic incentive to succeed, because there’s no way I’m going back to studying fulltime and funding it myself.”

The waitress arrived with Dan’s food and they started to make arrangements for Pana to move in. As they spoke Pana picked chips off Dan’s plate and popped them into his mouth. Dan watched him with an amused smile but didn’t say anything. He was thinking about the previous night, when he’d impulsively hugged Pana and heard him say something strange – ‘my place is forever by your side’. At least he thought he’d heard it, Pana had whispered it so softly that Dan had barely caught the words. 

“Do you ever feel like sometimes you remember things about places you’ve never been to, or people you’ve never met, but somehow you have memories of them?” Dan asked while he poured a puddle of tomato sauce onto the side of his plate. 

Pana ate a chip and thought about it, then picked up another one, dipped it in the ketchup and put it in his mouth. 

“Yeah,” he nodded, helping himself to another one. “It’s been happening quite a bit lately, but I don’t think they’re memories, it’s more like déjà vu, like random thoughts that just pop into my head.” 

While he spoke he lifted the bun on top of Dan’s burger and picked off a slice of tomato and a piece of pickle. Dan watched him with a growing smile and reached for his knife, cut his burger in half, put half of it on the side-plate and pushed it across the table to Pana.

“I’m not hungry,” Pana said, pushing it back.

“You’ve eaten half my chips already; you’re dismantling my hamburger bit by bit so you might as well take half of it.” Dan smiled at him, his dimples sinking deeply into his cheeks as he pointed the knife towards the half-eaten piece of tomato Pana still held between his fingers.

Pana blushed when he realized what he’d been doing and accepted the burger with a shy smile.

They ate while they chatted about their upcoming work and ironed out the details of Pana coming to stay with Dan while they filmed the series. Dan’s question about ancient lives and memories was forgotten for the moment. 

To be continued…..


	4. Chapter 4

Pana moved in the next evening, he only had one bag and it took him less than five minutes to unpack. Dan showed him around the flat which took even less time. It was small but modern and if you stood on your tiptoes and craned your neck you could see the top of the arch of Sydney Harbour Bridge from the lounge window. 

“Well maybe all six foot two of you can see it,” Pana said when Dan tried to show him. “Me, not so much.”

“Aww, Little Man,” Dan said nipping Pana’s chin between his thumb and forefinger and giving him a wink. 

“Fuck you,” Pana shot back playfully, smacking his hand away. “I told you not to call me that.”

“What’s this?” Dan asked picking up a photograph that Pana had propped up against the lamp on the table next to the couch. His iPod, his phone and this photograph seemed to be the only personal possessions Pana had brought with him. The only other things in his bag had been clothes and toiletries.

“That’s my Shakespeare award,” Pana replied. “I keep the photo with me all the time, it reminds me where I’ve come from and where I’m going in the future.”

Dan looked at the picture, it was battered and dog-eared as if it had been handled and touched many times. It showed Pana holding what looked like a wooden statuette. He was grinning broadly at the camera, beaming with pride, the happiness literally radiating from his face. It looked like he was wearing a school uniform, his hair was long and pulled tightly back in a severe ponytail. He couldn’t have been more than sixteen or seventeen years old.

“Shakespeare?” 

“Yep,” Pana smiled. “It was in high school, it was the first acting I’d ever done. I got the Best Actor award and I wasn’t even the main character, I was only in a supporting role. I’m very proud of that award.”

“Wow, the first role you ever did was Shakespeare? That’s pretty impressive,” Dan said. 

“Yeah, I’m doing my career backwards,” Pana joked. “From Romeo and Juliette, to a background extra on a local soapie. I’m progressing nicely downhill,” he laughed. 

“Not true,” Dan replied, “There’s Richie and you’ve got your movie coming up. I’d say your career is definitely on the rise.” 

“I owe it all to my drama teacher,” Pana told him, a serious look coming over his face. “He believed in me when nobody else did. Even my family had written me off, but he kept coming back and pushing me harder to achieve my dreams and goals. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t be here now, I’d be just another thug in the mob. I might even be dead by now. My life was going one way, straight down the path into a gang, but he changed all that and I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved and what I’ve become. He’s a good man, he never gave up on me even when I made his life hell. He just kept kicking my ass until I got to where I needed to be.” 

They had talked a lot since they’d met about their childhoods and families, so Dan knew Pana’s circumstances and the background he had come from. To say he’d got off to a bumpy start in life was putting it mildly. Dan knew how far he’d come and just how much he had to be proud of. He reached out and squeezed Pana’s shoulder, giving him a smile that he hoped showed how proud he was of Pana’s achievements too.

“We’ll eat in about half an hour, okay?” Dan said, letting his fingers linger on Pana’s shoulder for a moment longer. 

“Would it be okay if I showered first?” Pana asked.

“Go ahead,” Dan replied, “I’ve put clean towels in there for you, shampoo and shower gel are on the shelf. If there’s anything else you need, just look in the cabinet under the basin.”

He was in the kitchen making a salad when Pana finished his shower. His hair was wet and messy, and he only had a towel wrapped around his waist as he came padding barefoot into the lounge to get a clean change of clothes. The living area of Dan’s flat was open-plan with only the kitchen counters separating the kitchen from the living room. 

“Do you have a laundry basket somewhere?” Pana asked, holding up the old clothes he had been wearing. 

“Just toss them in the washing machine with the others, I’ll do a load tomorrow.” Dan answered, pointing behind him. 

As Pana walked past, Dan watched him discreetly. This was the most undressed he’d ever seen him and it was stirring all sorts of feelings inside him. He got a proper look at the striking tribal tattoo on his left arm; he wanted to trace his fingers over every line and curve of it. High up on his right arm Pana had a tattoo of a paw print that Dan had not seen before. But his eye was caught by a large, elongated scar on his abdomen that stretched across his ribs just under his heart. It was strangely shaped; long and flat-ended on one side but coming to a point on the other. The skin looked puckered like it had been burned. Down the middle of it ran a thin line just a shade darker than the rest of the area. 

“Did this hurt?” Dan asked, reaching out and running his fingertip along the scar, tracing the edges of it and caressing the skin around it. “What happened? How did you get this scar?” 

Pana looked down at Dan’s fingers moving over his skin. He usually didn’t like people touching him, but with Dan it felt comfortable and he liked the sensation of warm fingertips stroking his skin.

“It’s not a scar, it’s a birthmark,” he said. “This is the only scar I’ve got,” Pana pointed to a faint line on his face that started above his eyebrow and came down to his cheek. 

“And how did you get that?” Dan asked, touching the area under his eye with a gentle finger. 

“Bar fight,” Pana said. “Some guy glassed me in the face after I kicked his friend in the head.” 

“What’d his friend do to deserve that?” 

“He called me Little Man,” Pana smiled over his shoulder as he disappeared down the hallway back to the bathroom to get dressed. Dan couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. 

When he came back he was still barefoot but wearing a pair of cargo pants and a baggy t-shirt. He sat down on the floor in front of Dan’s CD rack and started flicking through the disks. 

“You’ve got nothing but Metallica here,” he grumbled.

“Not true, there’s Slayer too,” Dan responded with a grin. 

“So the choice is metal or … metal?” 

Dan gave him a cheeky grin in reply. “Dinner will ready in a few minutes, do you want a beer or wine? I’ve got both red and white.”

“Red’s good,” Pana said still browsing through Dan’s music collection. 

Dan poured them each a glass and took Pana’s over to him. He leaned down and Pana’s hand reached up to take it, then suddenly pulled away. 

“Something wrong?” Dan asked, concerned. 

“I just had another one of those weird feelings of déjà vu, like this has happened before, like you’ve brought me a drink like this before.” 

Dan crouched down beside him. 

“And you did that too, you knelt down next to me and talked to me,”

Dan opened his mouth to speak but Pana pointed a warning finger at his face. “Don’t even think about saying it,” he said before the words ‘Little Man’ could come out of Dan’s mouth. 

Dan made a motion of zipping his lips with his fingers and Pana took the wine from him. He noticed that Dan was massaging the palms of his hands and pressing his fingers into the middle them as if they were sore. 

“What’s up with your hands bro?” Pana asked. 

“Nothing, they just hurt sometimes when the weather changes. My knee does the same, but that’s an old rugby injury from high school. I’ve never injured my hands so I don’t know, maybe it’s the beginning of arthritis or something, we’ve got a lot of it in my family.” 

Pana took Dan’s hands in his and opened them so he could look at them. There was nothing there, no mark or scar. He rubbed his thumbs over the middle of Dan’s palms. He had a niggling feeling that he’d once seen hands just like Dan’s with deep wounds in them, as if a spike or something had been driven through them. 

The kitchen timer went off and he let go of them as Dan stood up to get the lasagne out of the oven. The Broncos were playing that night and they watched the game while they ate. Dan shouted encouragement at the TV screen every time his favourite team looked like they were going to score, then drowned his sorrows in a big bowl of ice-cream when they lost the match.

“I’m exhausted, I’m gonna call it a night,” Pana said after they’d done the dishes.

He brushed his teeth and while Dan went to shower, Pana got undressed and made himself a comfortable bed on the couch. When Dan came back to say good night to him, he was already asleep. Dan stood over him for a moment watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. As he reached down to turn off the table lamp he had a sudden thought, another of those memories that came from nowhere and filled his head. Hesitantly, he extended two fingers and brushed them along the side of Pana’s neck. 

The pretty youth stirred softly in his sleep and tilted his head into his pillow exposing more of his neck. Dan carefully caressed his skin again and heard him moan gently, his mouth opening in a sigh of pleasure. Dan bit down on his lip to stop himself exhaling a moan of his own. He had just proved his theory. Pana was wrong, these were not just fleeting thoughts shooting through their minds, they _were_ memories, real memories of real things. How else would he know that Pana had such an incredibly sensitive neck? He leaned down, turned off the lamp and gently placed a kiss on the sleeping man’s forehead.

***

The next week was a busy one. They had costume fittings, makeup tests, script read-throughs and rehearsals. Dan was enthralled at watching Pana’s acting skills at work. While Dan took a long time to get the feel of his role, Pana seemed to be able to turn his character on and off like flicking switch.

At rehearsals, Kate the director was thrilled at the chemistry and closeness they had managed to create between their characters. You could feel the distress and hurt between the two as they practiced the scene where Richie visits Brian at the hospital for the first time. She explained how she wanted to shoot the scene and what she wanted them to deliver to the camera, and she was astounded that even in rehearsal, Pana cried real tears as he held Dan’s hand and explained to him that he would never walk again. She loved the intensity of Dan’s character, and the despair that he managed to convey with just his eyes. But the thing she loved most was the little gesture of touching their foreheads together that Richie did to calm Brian every time he became too upset. She told them to make sure they remembered to include that when it came to filming the scene for real. 

The next three weeks were a blur, they got the final drafts of the script, went to more read-throughs and rehearsals, and worked as extras on other productions for a bit of additional money until they could count on getting regular wages from the TV series. 

A week before they were due to start filming, Pana got an urgent call from his agent. 

“I’ve got to fly to Auckland,” he told Dan. “The producers of my film have called a meeting, everybody’s got to be there.”

“How long will you be gone for?” Dan asked.

“Two days, but I think I might stay a day or two extra and visit my family.”

Dan drove him to the airport the following day. After he checked in Pana turned to say goodbye to Dan. “Are you sure you don’t mind collecting me again?”

“Not at all,” Dan replied giving him a gentle smile, “I’ve got your flight details, I’ll be back here on Sunday.”

Pana smiled back and they gazed at each other, their eyes lingering. Then Dan did something he’d wanted to do from the moment Pana moved in with him. He lifted his hand and cupped the side of Pana’s face in his palm, gently caressing his cheek with his thumb, then he leaned down and tenderly placed a soft kiss on his lips. His heart was thumping as he drew back, unsure what Pana’s reaction would be. 

For a moment Pana did nothing, his expression was placid but his eyes registered surprise. Then his lips began to curve upwards in a shy smile. He held Dan’s gaze and his smile widened as he reached up to Dan’s neck and pulled his head down. Their foreheads touched as Pana ran his fingers down the side of Dan’s face. They kissed again, their lips pressing together for a little longer this time. 

‘I’ll see you on Sunday then,” Pana said softly as he turned and walked through the departure gate. 

Dan stood watching him until he’d disappeared from sight. He had the biggest, goofiest grin on his face. When he finally turned to go, he noticed a woman who had been standing near them. She had seen them kiss and she smiled at Dan as she nodded towards the departure gate that Pana had gone through. 

“He’s a real cutie,” she said to Dan. “You’re a lucky man.”

Dan blushed deeply as he nodded in agreement. 

“He is,” he admitted with a tinge of pride as he walked away. “I’m very lucky.”

***

On Sunday afternoon when Dan stood at the arrivals gate waiting to meet Pana’s flight, he had butterflies in his stomach and his heart was thumping in his chest. As soon as he saw Pana an enormous grin spread across his face. He walked towards him with arms outstretched and Pana rushed into his embrace. Dan crushed him to his chest, squeezing him tightly, never wanting to let him go.

Their mouths met in a welcoming kiss, their lips ever so slightly parted. Dan’s hand moved up, his fingers curling around Pana’s neck, gently stroking his skin. He heard a soft purring sound coming from Pana’s throat. 

“Did you have a good trip?” Dan asked when they broke apart, his hands still holding Pana’s face. 

“Very good,” Pana replied, and with twinkle in his eye, he asked. “Did you miss me?”

“Very, very much,” Dan told him truthfully. 

 

To be continued…..


	5. Chapter 5

Filming started the next morning and Dan couldn’t believe how good it felt to be back in front of the cameras again. The studio was a pleasant half hour drive from the flat, the only bit he didn’t enjoy was when Pana plugged his iPod into the car stereo. 

“Seriously?” Dan grumbled when the hip-hop and rap tunes began to play. 

“Yes,” Pana insisted. In the end they agreed to listen to Pana’s music on the way to the studio and Dan’s choice on the way home. 

The other big change that happened after Pana’s trip to New Zealand was that he moved from the couch to the bedroom. 

It happened on the night Dan collected him from the airport. They were getting ready to sleep and Pana had poked his head around the bedroom door to say goodnight and thank Dan again for picking him up from his flight. Dan had been sitting on his bed flipping back and forth through his script and looking worried. 

“What’s up bro?” Pana asked, coming to sit on the end of the bed. 

“It’s the scene where I wake up in the hospital for the first time after getting shot. It’s when only the nurses are with me, before my father or Richie come in. Kate says my character is responding too quickly to his situation, she wants him to be more confused and disoriented before it finally dawns on him what’s happened to him. I’ve tried to slow my reaction down, but I think a guy in that situation would react in a really extreme way as soon as he opens his eyes and can’t feel his legs. When I have him acting normally when he first wakes up, it just doesn’t feel believable to me. How would you play it?”

Pana took the script from Dan and read it quickly, memorising the lines. Then he got up and walked around to the other side of the bed and slid between sheets. Dan was fascinated as he watched Pana play out the scene. Everything about it was so subtle and authentic that Dan felt like he was really watching a man wake up from a coma to find his world crashing down around him.

They discussed the scene a bit more, but it was getting late and they needed to be on location early the next morning. Dan went to shower, leaving Pana still sitting in the bed, making notes for him in the margin of his script. 

When he came out of the bathroom, he found Pana had fallen asleep; his head nestled in the pillows, the script still lying on his chest. Dan smiled, that feeling of protectiveness coming over him again. He carefully picked the script up and put it on the bedside table. He considered waking Pana up, but as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Dan dismissed it. He turned off the light and slid into the bed next to him.

Pana had stayed there from that night on. They kissed goodnight before they went to sleep and often woke in the middle of the night to find themselves spooning together, Dan’s arm around Pana, holding him protectively to his chest. Some mornings they woke up with Dan on his back and Pana snuggled up to his side, his head on Dan’s shoulder and his hand resting on Dan’s stomach. They never discussed it or what it meant, it just felt comfortable and right, so they settled into the routine of sleeping side by side.

The rest of the week sped by as it always does when you’re busy and doing something you love. On Friday evening, to celebrate the end of a successful week of filming, the cast and crew went out for drinks and dinner. 

Walking along the wharf at Darling Harbour to the restaurant at the Marina, their group became entangled in raucous birthday party. A crowd of twenty loud and boisterous people, all in fancy dress costumes were coming in the opposite direction. Dan was walking with the woman who played his mother in the show, and Pana was strolling a few paces ahead of them, talking to the soundman who had grown up in the same small New Zealand town that Pana had. One of the party-goers who was dressed as a clown, grabbed the woman Dan was with and twirled her around in a drunken dance. They all l cheered as Dan gallantly went to her rescue and gently extracted her from the clown’s grasp. Just then someone dressed as a vampire came stumbling along. Dan dodged out of the way and looked up just in time to see a long-haired, eye-patched, hook-handed, fake-parrot-on-his-shoulder, fancy-dress pirate, flinging an arm around Pana’s neck and sprouting nonsense piratey words at him. Pana was laughing and playing along while unsuccessfully trying to push the guy away. He seemed happy and comfortable, enjoying the drunken party atmosphere, but Dan’s blood boiled. 

Rage erupted deep inside him. His jaw clenched and his hands tightened into fists. He closed the distance between them in two short strides, smacking the pirate’s arm away from Pana’s body.

“Get your fucking hands off him!” Dan growled through gritted teeth. 

Pana turned with a look of shock on his face. “He’s not doing any harm,” he spluttered. 

The pirate mumbled something, glaring at Dan and looking like he was going to throw a punch, but seeing the size of Dan, and the furious look in his eyes, he decided against it. Instead, he lifted his hands in surrender and took a few wobbly steps back. 

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Pana shouted at Dan, who was still giving the fancy-dress pirate a murderous look. 

Dan blinked and turned his head back to Pana, feeling overwhelmed by the need to protect him. God he was beautiful, so small and sweet and gentle. Dan couldn’t bear the thought of a drunken stranger pawing at him. 

“I’d flatten anybody who hurt you or threatened you,” Dan said. 

“Which part of he didn’t do any harm do you not understand?” Pana hissed and walked away, catching up with the rest of their group.

Dan’s sudden outburst had shocked him, but somewhere deep inside he felt flattered by Dan’s overprotectiveness. He also had a strange sense that a confrontation like this had taken place before. Just like when he’d reached up to take the glass of wine from Dan’s hand, he felt it wasn’t the first time this had happened. He had almost expected Dan’s intervention as soon as the stranger’s hand had landed on him, but the violence of Dan’s reaction shook him. 

At the restaurant they sat apart from each other on opposite sides of the table, but they looked at each other often. Dan was calmer when Pana smiled at him, and soon they were exchanging flirtatious glances.

On the drive home, Dan was quiet for a few blocks, then he looked over at Pana and simply said, “I’m sorry.” 

“The guy was just drunk and fooling around, there was no need to knock his head off,” Pana replied. 

“I don’t like people touching you,” was the only explanation Dan could offer, but even as the words fell from his lips he realized how ridiculous it sounded. 

When they got home Pana flopped down on the couch while Dan got two beers from the fridge and joined him. Pana took the bottle from him as he flicked through the channels finally settling on a movie channel that was showing one of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. He settled down to watch, but Dan took the controller out of his hand.

“I’m not in the mood for pirates today,” he huffed at the screen as he flipped to another channel. 

“Clearly!” Pana shot back, still annoyed at the scene Dan had caused earlier. 

Dan raised an eyebrow at him, but Pana turned back to the TV which was on a channel where the film _300_ had just started. It was a movie that he’d never had much interest in seeing, but now something about the muscular ancient warriors and their fighting skills fascinated him. Next to him, Dan seemed riveted too, watching every battle scene with concentration and interest. When one of the characters got stabbed, Pana winched and his hand went involuntarily to his side. He felt a strange twinge of pain. Dan shook his head, clucking his tongue at the film character’s mistake

“He lowered his guard,” Dan said, rolling his eyes at the screen. “And left his flank exposed. He should have stepped to the right, rounded on his opponent and slammed the edge of his shield under his chin. The guy would have dropped to the ground and he could have had his head.”

“If he’d had a spear he wouldn’t even need that much effort,” Pana replied. “One good swipe at his shins would have stopped him in his tracks. A good kick to the back of his legs and he’d be on his knees with his throat open and ready for slitting. Easy, no effort required.” 

“You know a lot about methods of attack,” Dan said turning to look at Pana again. 

“It’s obvious, a child could see it,” Pana answered with a shrug.

They watched in silence for a while longer until the Persian messenger arrived at King Leonidas’ court. When the camera focused in on the man’s face they both sat upright and leaned forward, sitting on the edge of the couch and staring at the television. Dan’s mouth dropped open as he watched the man on the screen, his strikingly handsome face was decorated with gold piercings through his eyebrow and nostril, his ebony skin glistening in the golden light. Pana’s hand lifted to his mouth as he watched the scene. There was something so compellingly familiar about the man, that they both reacted with horror when Gerard Butler shouted the iconic, _“This is Sparta!”_ line and sent the hapless messenger flying backwards into the well with a powerful kick to his chest. 

“Doctore!” Dan yelped as the man fell to his death.

“Oenomaus!” Pana gasped. 

_“Who?_ ” they said together and turned their heads to look at each other. 

At the end of the film Dan paused the credits to see who the actor was. The name Peter Mensah meant nothing to him, but he still felt the shuddering horror of watching him die. Even more puzzling to Dan than how strongly connected he felt to the man, and how familiar he seemed, was why he had called out the name Doctore as the character met his end, but Pana had said something different.

“You called him Oenomaus,” Dan said, turning to Pana. “Why?”

“Because that’s his name,” Pana replied with a look of exasperation, as if it should have been obvious to Dan. 

While Pana showered and got ready for bed, Dan got his laptop and put the name Oenomaus into Google but nothing came up in connection with the actor. The only hits he got referred to a gladiator who took part in a slave rebellion in ancient Rome.

Unable to shake the strange pang of loss he felt, Dan stood in the shower and let the hot water run over him. As he brushed his teeth afterwards he reached up to wipe the foggy surface of the mirror, but his hand stopped in mid-air. In the steamed-up mirror he saw the reflection of the man he had called Doctore, and in the misty glass more faces were coming into focus; a beautiful dark haired female, a blonde woman, hissing and growling, and a bearded man with friendly eyes and a charming smile. Names echoed in his head, whispered to him from a time long ago, _Mira, Saxa, Donar._

Dan blinked and rubbed his eyes as the images faded and were replaced by another. He found himself looking at a face reflected back at him from the mirror, a man so familiar and so tragic that it caused his heart to ache and made him reach out towards the glass. Dark haired, dark eyed, wearing short braids and an enormous smile, the man’s face began to fade as soon as Dan’s fingers touched the cold reflection. He mouthed the name ‘Duro’ as tears formed in his eyes. But as quickly as the vision came, it was gone, and Dan was left standing in the bathroom looking at his own reflection as trails of condensation ran down the mirror’s surface. 

Lying in the dark and listening to the even breathing of the man at his side, Dan felt calmer but he still needed the comfort that only one person could offer him. He wanted the reassurance of Pana’s body close to him and the feel of his arms wrapped around the smaller man. He rolled over to the sleeping figure next to him, snuggling up to his back and folding an arm possessively around him. 

Pana stirred gently in his sleep and wriggled back until his body was pressed tightly to Dan’s front. Dan rubbed his face in Pana’s hair, breathing in the scent of his shampoo and planting soft kisses on the back of his head. He closed his eyes, feeling comforted and safe. As he drifted off to sleep, hovering in that peaceful place between slumber and consciousness, something inside him awoke. The soul of an ancient gladiator, who had loved a Syrian warrior in a time long ago shrouded by history, reached out for the man who held his heart. Dan felt his hand slide from Pana’s chest down to his stomach, his leg lifted and snaked over Pana’s thigh, resting there and pulling him tightly against his body. The flutter of arousal began to tingle in his groin as his lips found Pana’s neck. 

Pana murmured at the wonderfully familiar feeling of a strong body curled protectively against his back, and muscular limbs wrapped around him. It called to something deep inside him. He snuggled back against the warmth behind him as soft lips grazed his neck. Moaning softly, he shifted his head to make his neck more accessible. A warm, wet tongue traced a line along his skin. He opened his mouth and inhaled a sharp breath as teeth gently tugged at his earlobe. Sighing, he felt himself pulled from sleep into wakefulness. Lips brushed against his ear as the soft touch of fingers trailed down his chest to his stomach. 

“My heart’s desire,” 

The words were whispered against his ear as he woke up and rolled over into arms that had been waiting untold lifetimes to hold him again. 

“Agron?” he exhaled the name on a shaky breath.

“Yes Nasir, I’m here,” replied Dan’s voice, heavy with emotion. 

 

To be continued….


	6. Chapter 6

Nasir woke, surprised to find himself in a bed. A lifetime of sleeping on the floor in his Dominus’ bedchamber, and three years with the rebel army, sleeping wherever he could find a place to rest his head, meant that a real bed was a luxury, one he had never experienced until they had taken Sinuessa. He rolled over and found himself wrapped in strong arms.

“Agron?”

“Yes Nasir, I’m here,” 

The sound of his name made his heart leap. The familiar feel of his lover’s body sent a warm shiver through him as his mouth surrendered to a kiss. Agron’s tongue teased the seam of his lips, seeking entry. Nasir willingly granted it. It had been too long, he had missed the German gladiator too much. He felt the sting of tears as he tightened his grip around Agron’s body.

“You return to me,” he whispered against the lips that kissed him again. 

“I have been too long from your arms,” Agron said, pulling Nasir’s small body more tightly against him.

“Where do we find ourselves?” 

“We are home,” Agron said. 

It was something he told Nasir every time they found each other again. It didn’t matter in which part of the world they were, or which century, wherever Nasir was, wherever they were together, to Agron that was home. 

How many times had they been reborn? How many lives had they lived? Nasir had lost count. The only thing he knew for sure, the only thing he cared about, was that they kept coming back to each other’s arms. Each time felt like a new awakening, it was like falling in love all over again. Each touch was a new discovery. He loved that precious once in a lifetime moment when they found each other again, soul recognising soul in blissful reunion. 

Once, a very long time ago, Agron had vowed that the gods themselves could not wrest Nasir from his arms, and in turn Nasir had promised that his place was forever at Agron’s side. It was an oath that they had kept, returning to the world to live and love one another again and again. 

Sometimes the path to each other’s arms was difficult and the recognition slow in coming. Like the time when the West was yet a wild frontier and buffalo still roamed the plains. A tall, muscular man with laughing green eyes and a dimpled smile had risked everything he owned on the glittering promise of gold. For months he had knelt in the river, panning for flecks of the precious metal while a young Navajo warrior watched him from a hilltop, the gentle breeze lifting the feathers in his long black hair. Over time, as trust grew, they approached each other in friendship, but it took many more years before one day, in a fit of anger, the longhaired warrior had hissed and growled in displeasure. The sound of his fury had triggered a vision of ancient Rome and gladiators in the handsome gold miner. 

But there were other times when their reunion was unexpected and sudden. When a sick and exhausted peasant, close to death, cradling badly wounded hands to his chest, had collapsed outside a medieval monastery, the first words he said to the young monk who had rushed to his aid were, “Help me Nasir,” 

“You are safe Agron. You are in my arms my love, you are safe,” was the comforting reply the stranger received. They had fled the monastery not long after, the silent and celibate Benedictine Brothers upset and unsettled by the sounds of passion that echoed from the young monk’s bedchamber at night.

Now, in this lifetime, the memories had risen to the surface and sank back to the depths again and again. Until at last, two hearts connected and two souls reached out to each other, the bond of love strong enough to bring them together and hold them there, reuniting the lovers again

“Each time I lay eyes upon you, you grow more beautiful.” Agron murmured into Nasir’s ear. 

“You but flatter me in pursuit of body’s desires.” Nasir laughed, the sound of it making Agron’s heart swell. 

“And I will have your body and all the pleasures it possesses,” Agron grinned, his hands moving slowly but with purpose, peeling the clothes from Nasir and from himself, needing to feel nothing but the warmth of skin between them. 

He shifted his weight, rolling Nasir onto his back and covering him with his body. Leaning on his elbows he gazed down at the only man he had ever loved. He heard Nasir’s sharp intake of breath as he tilted his pelvis, grinding his hips against the Syrian’s arousal.

Leaning down for another kiss, their mouths crushed together. Nasir’s head lifting off the pillow, his mouth opening and their tongues reuniting to the sound of purring pleasure from his throat. A purr that turned into a shuddering whimper when Agron’s mouth found the side of his neck, his rough stubble scraping against Nasir’s ultra-sensitive skin. 

With his teeth gently grazing Nasir’s throat, Agron kissed his way down his lover’s neck to his chest. In a time long gone, Nasir had worn three phallic charms around his neck, each of them given to him by Agron, and each symbolizing a significant and special event known only to the two of them. Agron had often found his mouth upon them as he explored the Syrian’s neck. Sometimes while standing together keeping watch or talking with Spartacus and the others, Agron would casually fold his arm around Nasir’s neck, his fingers absentmindedly playing with those long, cylindrical trinkets. But now Nasir wore another necklace. Fastened on a thin leather chord, he had a jade carving in the shape of a _‘pikorua’_ , a simple but beautiful twist, the Maori symbol for the everlasting, eternal bond between two people. Agron’s mouth went to it, he kissed it and ran his tongue over its curving contours before he licked his way up Nasir’s neck to find his mouth again. He too carried a symbol of eternal life and everlasting love, a Celtic design tattooed on his hip. He looked forward to the moment Nasir’s mouth would find it and his tongue would make an exploration of its own.

As their kisses became more urgent and desperate, he could feel Nasir’s fingernails digging into his back, his small but strong body squirming as he twisted his legs out from under Agron and raised his knees, his feet sliding up the sides of Agron’s body.

“Your legs part in remembrance,” Agron husked against his mouth, then dipped his head to run his tongue along Nasir’s jaw.

“My legs part in need,” Nasir replied, bucking his hips and sliding his hard cock against Agron’s. 

The feel of hot skin against his shaft made Nasir moan with pleasure as he rubbed himself against Agron’s’ taut stomach, creating blissful friction on the head of his cock. They were both so aroused and leaking slick pearls of wetness that the sliding sensation was even more pleasurable. Agron ground down harder against him, listening to Nasir’s breath becoming ragged. 

“You look as a god now,” Agron smiled in wonder at the erotic expression on Nasir’s face. “Would that I could spend eternity gazing at you as you are in this moment.” 

“You give me words, when I would have your cock,” Nasir hissed. 

He clawed at Agron’s shoulders, thrusting his body upwards, making it clear that he wanted Agron inside him. Lust glittered in his eyes, an expression of frustration settling on his face. Agron smiled serenely at him, teasing him to further impatience. Nasir grumbled his displeasure but Agron’s tongue invaded his mouth and silenced him. Agron liked to delay, he liked to tease, and if there was one thing he loved more than having Nasir, docile and compliant in his arms, it was having an aroused and impatient Nasir underneath him. He pushed down, letting his weight trap the smaller man, trying to keep him still. 

Nasir wriggled and his legs climbed further up Agron’s sides, wrapping around him, but Agron reached behind him and pushed them back down. He lifted his hips and manoeuvred his body, using his thighs to push Nasir’s legs back together. 

“You would deny me?” Nasir growled, his eyes wild with fiery hunger.

‘I would give you all you desire and more,” Agron told him, sucking on his neck and nipping a line of gentle bites along his shoulder. 

Nasir whimpered in frustration, his nails raking roughly up and down Agron’s back, making his impatience known. Every nerve in his body was alive and tingling, all his senses heightened. He was desperate to have Agron inside him but the big German wanted to savour their euphoric reunion. It had always been that way, Nasir passionate and impatient, never wanting to wait until their stint on guard duty was over. He would goad Agron to arousal until the big gladiator, no longer caring if they got caught, would slam him up against a wall and kiss him passionately. Even Spartacus had given up trying to send them out hunting together, the only thing they ever returned with were satisfied smiles on their faces. On his own, Agron was a good hunter, but with Nasir there were just too many distractions. 

Sliding his fingers through Agron’s hair, their lips met again and Nasir sought Agron’s tongue once more. He loved the feel of it, he loved the intimate connection of it. He revelled in the feel of Agron’s weight pressing down on him. He was heavy but Nasir loved that too. His hands trailed down Agron’s sides, skimmed over his hips, sliding over the twin globes of his behind. 

Without warning Nasir grabbed at him, groping two handfuls of flesh, his nails digging in hard. Agron pulled away from the kiss, panting. He had that dazed look in his eyes that he always got when Nasir took him by surprise. 

“I would not wait any longer, I would have you now,” the Syrian demanded. He opened his mouth making as if he wanted another kiss, but when Agron’s mouth met his, Nasir bit the gladiator’s lower lip, pulling it with his teeth. Agron groaned loudly. He loved it when Nasir did that, almost as much as he loved doing it to Nasir. With a final lustful kiss, Agron reluctantly pulled himself up and moved off Nasir’s body.

“Where do you go? I would go with you,” Nasir said, suddenly reaching out and grabbing Agron’s wrist. Too many times he had felt the fear of losing Agron in battle; he never wanted him far from his sight. 

“Stay, I shall return shortly,” Agron replied, gently prizing Nasir’s fingers open and releasing his arm from their grip.

There was just enough moonlight filtering into the room for Nasir to watch Agron’s body melt into the shadows. He took a deep breath to calm himself and turned onto his side, closing his eyes and waiting as he had done so many times before. Moments later he felt the bed dip under Agron’s weight, warm lips pressed to the back of his neck as his lover slid under the covers behind him. The heat of Agron’s skin pressed to his back was reassuring as Agron’s hand probed carefully between Nasir’s cheeks, a finger pressing gently against his hidden entrance. There was a slick substance coating it, it felt thicker than the oil they usually used and was cold to the touch. Nasir shivered as Agron began to rub slow, careful circles, gently nudging the tip of his finger into Nasir’s tight opening. He took a deep breath, willing his body to relax and yield to his lover. He reached behind him and rested his hand on Agron’s thigh. When he felt ready, he gently scratched Agron’s leg, his nails dragging up and down his skin. After so many years it had become their signal, the way Nasir communicated to Agron that he could continue. He heard the rumble of desire in Agron’s chest as his finger pushed through that tight ring of muscle and eased inside him. Nasir gasped and Agron nipped gently at his neck and shoulder to distract him. 

“More?” Agron asked, his voice husky with anticipation. 

Nasir whimpered his consent and Agron pushed another finger into him, then pulled them slowly out and eased them gently back in until Nasir grew used to the sensation. He gradually opened and closed his fingers, scissoring and twisting them to stretch and open Nasir’s tight body. When he heard Nasir breathing faster and felt him pushing back against his hand, he pressed another finger into him, using all three to stretch and prepare him, all the while kissing and biting his neck, and whispering words of love into his ear. 

When Nasir started moving, needing more stimulation than fingers alone could give and twisting his head back to seek kisses, Agron knew he was ready. He pulled his fingers out and heard Nasir’s disappointed grumble.

“Turn on back, I would see your face when cock sinks into you,” Agron murmured as he ran his tongue down Nasir’s arm. He lifted his body to allow Nasir to turn. 

Nasir was always beautiful but Agron didn’t think he’d ever looked more breathtaking than he looked now. A shaft of silvery moonlight spilled across the bed making him glow. His soft eyes gazed at Agron, a smile brimming with expectation of the ecstasy to come spread across Nasir’s face as he opened his legs and wrapped them loosely around Agron’s hips. The big gladiator needed no more encouragement than that. He spread the remainder of the slick substance from his fingers over his cock and guided it to Nasir’s eager entrance, pressing gently against it. Nasir’s hands slid up Agron’s’ arms, coming to rest on his shoulders, his fingers clasping tightly as he braced himself for the discomfort to come. Agron pushed steadily, biting down on his lower lip as he felt Nasir’ body resist the intrusion for just a second, then it yielded and the head of his cock eased through that snug barrier of muscles.

Nasir hissed at the momentary burning pain, then took deep breaths as Agron pushed further in. All the while Agron grazed Nasir’s neck with the rough stubble of his jaw. It was something Agron had done right from the very beginning; Nasir’s sensitive skin provided enough distracting sensation to get him through the initial discomfort of being taken. But now the pain was giving way to incredible pleasure, the feeling of being so stretched and filled made Nasir sigh with happiness. He stretched his neck up, his mouth demanding a kiss, which Agron gladly gave him. Their mouths mashed together as they tugged on each other’s lips, their tongues sliding against each other. He couldn’t get enough of Agron’s’ mouth, or his cock. He bucked his hips, squeezing his thighs around Agron’s body, begging him to move. He heard the soft chuckle in Agron’s throat as he gave in to Nasir’s neediness and started to thrust into him. It was heaven. Agron pulled out until just the head of his cock was inside then plunged his full length back in. He watched Nasir losing himself to lust. Raising his hips to meet Agron’s thrusts, he cried out in pleasure each time the tip of Agron’s shaft brushed against that oh so sensitive spot deep inside him. 

The slick heat and clenching tightness of Nasir’s channel was almost too much for Agron. His cock was enveloped in pure sensation, and Nasir knew a few muscle-clamping tricks that made it even better. The first time he had done it, contracting his internal muscles and squeezing Agron’s cock from deep inside, Agron had lost control and his climax had exploded through him without warning. Over time he had learned to anticipate Nasir’s intimate surprise and to enjoy the thrilling sensation of it without losing his head completely. 

The one thing Nasir loved more than Agron plunging deeply into him, taking him to ever more blissful heights, was the way the handsome gladiator looked at him when they made love. Their eyes never left each other, he could see every jolt of pleasure Agron experienced right there on his face. His dimpled smile told of the building ecstasy and his eyes spoke of the vast depths of love he held for Nasir. Their eyes exchanged things that words could not come close to expressing. 

Nasir was reaching his peak quickly and he wanted Agron there with him. His nails raked down the German’s back, raising welts that would take a while to fade. He mumbled incoherent words of love, tilting his hips, pushing up towards Agron, angling his body until Agron hit that sweet spot inside him with every stroke. He bore down on the cock that felt like it was cleaving him in two and clenched muscles deep inside himself that made Agron’s eyes widen in blissful surprise.

“Fuck the gods,” Agron hissed as Nasir’s body clamped down around his length. 

His eyes closed and his mouth opened as he panted for control. Nasir’s lips met his in a passionate kiss, their tongues entwining. It was more than Agron could take, he broke from the kiss, his whole body contracting and shuddering. He felt Nasir’s hand slip between their bodies, taking hold of his own cock and pumping himself to a blissful climax. 

The spasm started in Agron’s toes and shot through his body, lights danced in front of his eyes as he finally crested the peak of ecstasy and crashed into a quaking orgasm. He heard Nasir’s whimpering sounds of pleasure as he too raced towards a trembling release. His cock pulsed, shooting his climax deep inside Nasir’s body. Underneath him Nasir writhed and Agron kept driving into him, giving him as much pleasure and stimulation as he could whilst wringing the last quivering tremors of passion from his own body. 

And then it was over, he collapsed down on Nasir’s chest, gasping for breath, feeling every muscle in his body go limp. His skin was slicked with sweat, his heart was racing. But under him, Nasir was still moving, still hovering at the peak of an impossible wave of sensation, thrusting against Agron’s body, desperate for just a few more strokes to bring him to completion. 

“Daniel…don’t stop,” the cry was a desperate plea on Nasir’s lips.

At the sound of that name, Agron lifted his head and opened his eyes...

 

To be continued.


	7. Chapter 7

Dan opened his eyes after the most intense orgasm of his life. It had robbed him of breath and his body still shuddered through the aftershocks. When his vision finally focussed he found Pana’s face just inches from his, his mouth open, his eyes screwed tightly shut as his body thrashed towards a blissful climax of his own. 

“Daniel… don’t stop!” Pana gasped, his fingers clawing desperately at Dan’s back

It was a second before he realized what Pana wanted. Jumbled thoughts flew through his mind as he slowly comprehended what was happening. He was lying on top of… his cock was inside ... their bodies were… they were having… 

He couldn’t form the thoughts properly, his head was spinning but instinct took over and he snapped his hips forward, thrusting two deep strokes into Pana’s body. He heard Pana’s grateful groans of pleasure and saw Pana’s head tilt back, a sound of pure lust escaping his throat as he clung to Dan. Every muscle in Pana’s body tensed and Dan sucked in a sharp breath as he felt Pana’s tight inner muscles clamp around his cock. His body shuddered, then released. A sudden spurt of liquid heat hit Dan’s skin, followed by five more pulses of slick fluid. Finally sated, Pana relaxed, exhaling a long shaky breath as his head flopped back onto the pillow and he slowly loosened his grip on Dan. When his eyes opened they seemed dazed and unfocused. He gazed at Dan without really seeing him, instead he seemed to be looking right inside him to his soul. 

Dan tried to roll off Pana’s body, but with Pana’s legs still wrapped around him they moved as one, ending up on their sides facing each other, their bodies pressed together, still intimately joined. 

“What the fuck just happened?” Dan spluttered, staring at Pana with something between sated joy and disbelief. 

“We’ve come home, my heart,” Pana replied. His hand touched Dan’s cheek and gently caressed it. His face was a picture of contented bliss, serene and peaceful. His eyes shone with untold happiness. He stretched his neck, his lips seeking a kiss which Dan happily gave him. 

The movement of Dan tilting his head dislodged his now flaccid cock and it slipped out of Pana’s body to a whimper of disappointment from the smaller man. 

“Did I hurt you?” Dan asked with alarm, breaking from the kiss. 

Pana’s gaze was focussed now and he was back in the present. His eyes darted around, taking in the room, the bed and Dan holding his naked body like a precious gift. He smiled softly and met Dan’s gaze with a slightly embarrassed expression. 

“No,” he said quietly. “You didn’t hurt me, I feel wonderful.”

“Are you sure? Because we’ve just… I’ve just… we…we’ve just had sex,” Dan stumbled over the words before finally blurting them out. 

The thought that he’d caused damage to Pana’s body terrified him. He was no expert in the way men had sex, but he knew that their bodies didn’t work the same way women’s did, they needed … well… _something_. His looked away from Pana’s face as he blushed and his eyes fell on the bedside table where he saw an open jar of Vaseline. His blush deepened and he closed his eyes, he didn’t want to think about how that had got there or what he’d done with it. 

“No pain,” Pana said slowly as if reading Dan’s mind. “You took care of it, it was beautiful,” he whispered as his mouth and tongue found Dan’s again. 

He was right, it had been beautiful, more wonderful than anything Dan had ever experienced before. It truly felt like coming home. For the first time in his life he felt like he was where he was supposed to be, with the person he was supposed to be with. The soul he had waited more than a lifetime to be reunited with was back in his arms, and with it the body he remembered and the face that made his heart beat faster. The only man he had ever loved, and would ever love, was back in his life again and Dan was more grateful than words could express. He pressed his lips to Pana’s forehead and dropped a soft, fluttering kiss there. He heard a little giggle from Pana as he did it and saw that Pana was looking down between their bodies at the slowly drying, but still sticky, evidence of his incredible climax which was spread over both of their stomachs and chests. 

Out of the corner of his eye Pana caught sight of Dan’s pyjama bottoms lying on top of the covers where they’d been discarded sometime in the night. He grabbed them and wiped Dan’s skin clean, then his own and tossed the garment over the side of the bed. 

“Sorry about the mess,” he said, looking adorably bashful. 

“Actually, I thought that was kinda hot,” Dan admitted. And he did, the more he thought about it, the more he loved the idea that Pana’s most intimate essence had coated his skin. Something so personal and private that only lovers could share. _Lovers_ , is that what they were now? Dan smiled inwardly at the thought. 

“So what happens now?” Pana asked, gazing at Dan’s face with complete trust and affection.

“Now I never let you out of my sight again,” Dan told him, leaning in and placing another kiss on his forehead, the next on the tip of his nose and the last on his lips.

Then he turned onto his back and Pana cuddled close to his side, his arm draped over Dan’s body and his head snuggled into Dan’s neck, his warm breath falling on Dan’s throat. They lay together in silence, holding each other for a long time, listening to each other breathe. Occasionally Dan’s hand moved up and down Pana’s back, rubbing comfortingly and Pana answered his caresses by pressing a kiss to Dan’s collarbone. There was no need for words, their hearts already knew everything they wanted to say, they simply lay there letting the joy of being together again seep into them. Dan held Pana gently, his hand playing with Pana’s hair, listening to his soft contented sighs. 

“Your hair was longer back then,” Dan said after a long time of quiet. 

“And yours was shorter,” Pana replied. 

“You’re still as beautiful as you always were,” Dan told him slipping his finger under Pana’s chin and lifting his face to give him another long, lazy kiss. He couldn’t get enough of kissing him, no sooner had their mouths parted than Dan was craving his lips again.

“You still fuck as a god,” Pana giggled. “And you still flatter me as much as you always did,” he smiled playfully, giving Dan a tap on the chin with his finger. 

Dan laughed and grinned at him, kissing his temple and gazing down at him, wondering how his heart could hold so much love for one person without bursting. 

“But how is all this possible?” Pana asked, lifting himself up and leaning on his elbow so that he could look at Dan’s face. 

“I don’t know,” Dan confessed, shaking his head. “I have memories that I shouldn’t have of places I’ve never been, and people I’ve never met, yet I know them as if I was with them yesterday.”

“Like Oenomaus?” Pana said.

“But I knew him first as Doctore,” Dan answered, wondering if they shared the same memoires of the same people. 

Pana thought about it, faces and names crowding into his mind. He saw Dan’s face but associated the name Agron with it. Of the many new and strange memories he held, there was a recurring one of Dan talking, and more often arguing, with a large, fierce looking bearded man.

“If I said the name Crixus to you?” Pana questioned. 

‘I’d say fucking Gaul!” Dan responded. “Gannicus?”

“Drinks a lot and laughs like a lunatic,” Pana replied with a chuckle. “Sibyl?”

“Prays a lot,” Dan grinned, the dimples sinking deeply into his cheeks. “What if I said the name Agron?”

“Nasir would say that he loves you more than life itself.” Pana answered with a glowing smile. “And I don’t think I’ve ever stopped loving you, even when I didn’t know you existed. I’ve been waiting my whole life, even longer than that, to find you again,” Pana said, his eyes shining with love as he touched his lips to Dan’s. He took a deep breath and decided to test something he had a niggling feeling about. “What if I said Castus?”

An angry look crossed over Dan’s face, “I’d rather you didn’t speak the name of that fucking goat,” he snapped. 

Pana giggled and kissed him again. “Spartacus?” he asked, letting the name brush against Dan’s lips. 

“That was not his name,” Dan replied, a faraway look of sorrow settling on his face. 

They exchanged more names and described faces that had long since been lost to history; Naevia, Laeta, Batiatus, Glaber and Crassus. Dan spat some of the names out as if they tasted foul in his mouth, following them with the words, ‘Roman shit’. Then his eyes misted with tears as he spoke a name from a long time past but still deeply alive in his heart, “Duro”. Pana brushed away the tears that slipped down Dan’s cheeks. 

“Your brother…” Pana said, laying his head on Dan’s chest again and listening to his heartbeat. ‘I do not recall my own brother very well, we were very small when I was….” his voice trailed off and he sat up, his eyes staring into the distance as unpleasant, long forgotten memories surfaced. Turning his head, he looked at Dan with a pained expression. “I had a Dominus…” he began as Dan sat up too and hushed him with a hug and a tender kiss to the top of his head. 

“No longer,” Dan said, his lips moving against Pana’s hair. “That life is over, I am the only one that touches you now.”

They lay back down and talked of times shrouded in the mists of history. Dan spoke of the lands east of the Rhine and a homeland that he had vague memories of. Pana had few memoires earlier than the villa near Picentia but he did remember regular visits into that city and the songs of the Priestesses of Juno. He began to recite his favourite one in Latin and Dan listened with a smile on his face. 

“That doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard before. You sure you don’t just remember that from your high school Shakespeare days?” he teased Pana with a poke to his ribs. 

“We only did Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet, not Julius Caesar, it’s definitely not from Shakespeare.” 

Dan suddenly sat up, frothing with rage as the mention of that name triggered a deeply buried memory. 

“Fucking Caesar!” he roared as the man’s wolf-grin filled his mind and he could see the Roman’s gloating smile as he lifted a hammer and pushed the sharp point of an iron nail against the flesh of Dan’s hand.

Pana sat up too, taking Dan’s hands in his and rubbing his fingers over Dan’s palms, the memories coming back to him too. He could see the night as clear as if he still lived it. His lover, broken, bruised and bloodied shuffling back from the dead and into his arms. His heart had leapt with joy and broken with grief at the same time. 

“The night the gods gave you back to me was the happiest moment I’ve ever known,” Pana said, lifting Dan’s hands to his mouth, opening them and kissing his palms. 

“I should never have left you,” Dan’s voice was a hoarse whisper as he remembered the physical pain of injuries long since healed, and the worse emotional hurt of giving up somebody he loved more than anything. “I put you through hell and nearly dragged you to your doom more than once.”

“Nearly, but not quite,” Pana reassured him. He had memories of a time after the battlefields, memoires of a peaceful life, a house at the foot of a hill, cool mountain streams, a herd of goats and just the two of them, together and happy. He was sure Dan had those memories too. 

But Dan was thinking of other things, another time when his need to protect the man he loved had almost cost Nasir his life. A lie he had told for the greater good that had left his lover at death’s door with a gaping wound in his abdomen. He stared at the scar that had followed Pana’s soul into this body, and ran his fingers over it. 

Pana looked down at the sword shaped scar and remembered too. The agony of the blade going through him, the suffering of being dragged through miles of forest by a man who refused to abandon him to die when everybody else wanted to leave him there. He still recalled the excruciating pain of red hot steel searing his flesh. It had sealed his wound and saved his life. He owed everything to Spartacus, his freedom, his life and even the man he loved because it was Spartacus who had brought Agron into Nasir’s life and heart when they attacked his Dominus’ villa.

“Did it hurt?” Dan asked the same question he had asked a few nights ago when Pana told him it was just a birthmark. 

“Like bloody hellfire,” Pana said, still staring at his stomach and wondering how an injury that happened in another lifetime to another body was still with him. 

Dan bent forward, his mouth finding Pana’s scar, his tongue running along its length. “Nothing will ever hurt you again,” he promised with lips ghosting against Pana’s skin. 

They fell back against the pillows, Dan peppering Pana’s stomach and chest with kisses before lowering his body back on top of him again. Resting on his elbows he gazed down into loving eyes and felt Pana’s arms folding around him again. He lowered his head and they kissed slowly then with building passion. He could feel himself getting hard again and rubbing his body against Pana’s, discovered that he was too. The night had been an explosion of revelations for both of them, there was much to talk about, but words would happen in time. For now, all Dan was concerned about was making love to Pana again and staking his claim on him forever.

***

They slept most of the next day and stayed up all of the following night talking. It all still felt like a dream, but a blissfully happy one. Dan had a scene to shoot and after that he had two days off, but Pana wasn’t needed on set until the end of the week. He stayed in the flat pottering around and tidying up. When Dan came home at the end of the day Pana was in the kitchen sipping a beer while he sliced a tray of veggies into neat, evenly sized matchsticks. Dan unlocked the front door and came in quietly. Pana’s favourite rap tunes were blaring from the stereo and he was nodding his head in time to the beat as he swigged beer from the bottle and put his knife skills to good use. Dan watched him unseen from the doorway. Could anybody be more beautiful he wondered, unable to take his eyes off him. Then he noticed that Pana had raided his wardrobe and was wearing his clothes. A pair of shorts that just touched Dan’s knees fell way below Pana’s, and a t-shirt that was tight on Dan hung loosely on him. Dan chuckled to himself as he remembered a sticky-fingered Syrian who used to pinch his clothes and belongings untold lifetimes ago. Nothing had changed.

“What are you making?” Dan asked, walking silently up behind him and sliding his arms around Pana’s waist. Pana dropped his head back onto Dan’s shoulder and twisted his head, his lips demanding a kiss, which he was enthusiastically given. 

“Thai,” he replied as Dan started to nuzzle his neck. He felt the knife eased from his grasp and then Dan stepped back, reached around him and picked up the chopping board. He put it in the fridge and bumped the door closed with his hip. 

“The food can wait. I can’t,” Dan told him with a seductive smile and a toss of his head towards the bedroom door. 

They jostled each other to the bed and Dan pushed Pana down onto it, then pulled something out of his back pocket and tossed it into Pana’s cupped hands. 

“A present for you,” he said with a grin. 

Pana looked at the tube, reading the lettering and smiled. It was lubricant, water-based, strawberry flavoured and scented. 

“Good,” he grinned at Dan. “It was a bitch trying to get cleaned up after the Vaseline last time.”

“You won’t be getting cleaned up for a long time,” Dan smirked with a glitter of lust in his eyes as he pulled his shirt off over his head, “I’m not letting you out of bed until he have to go back to work on Friday.” 

True to his word, they stayed between the sheets for two days and nights, only venturing out to raid the fridge and take long hot showers together. Dan did things to Pana that made him blush and tell Dan he was worse than a Picentian whore. He in turn remembered the long lost skills of a body-slave, and had Dan’s toes curling and his mouth shouting, “Fuck the gods!” 

On the morning of the day they were due back in the studio, Dan’s agent rang and said she was sending a courier over with a proposal and first draft of a script for something he might be interesting in doing. Pana had signed on with her too in the hopes of picking up more work, and she said she thought there could be a part in it for both of them. They were lazily entwined when the doorbell rang. 

“Your turn,” Dan said, jabbing Pana in the ribs.

“How can it be my turn, I got up to make breakfast,” Pana retorted. “It’s your flat, your door, your responsibility to answer it,” 

Dan grumbled but got up and pulled on his dressing gown. He came back to the bedroom carrying two large black envelopes embossed with gold letters. He handed them to Pana, stripped off and climbed back into the bed, piling the pillows against the headboard. He sat back against them, spreading his legs and manoeuvred Pana until he was sitting between them, leaning back against Dan’s chest. 

Pana opened the envelope with his name on it while Dan’s arms snaked around him and his fingers traced ticklish lines up and down his stomach. Dan’s lips ghosted over his neck, planting kisses here and there and interspersing them with small, playful bites. Pana was breathing harder, his neck was erotically sensitive at the best of times, but the scrape of Dan’s stubble was making his toes curl and his skin break out in goosebumps.

He pulled the pages from the impressive looking envelope and studied them. Both the paper and the envelope were embossed with a fancy logo that said, _‘DeKnight Productions’._

“What is it?” Dan asked, grazing his teeth along the side of Pana’s neck. 

“TV series,” Pana breathed shakily as Dan bit down gently on his shoulder. “Three year contract, going to be filmed in New Zealand for a premium USA cable network. Starts shooting in a year’s time so it won’t interfere with my film.”

Dan was only half listening, but the part about a possible three year contract caught his attention. Steady work was always fantastic especially if they could both get a part in it. Dan already had niggling worries about what the future held. Pana had his movie coming up which meant they’d be apart a lot and Dan had been talking to his agent about a vampire film she thought she could get for him. It was going to be shot in London, which meant even more time apart and distance between them. Three years working and living together sounded like heaven.

“What’s the storyline about?” Dan asked, running his tongue up the side of Pana’s neck to his ear while his hands moved down his stomach and slithered under the sheet. 

Pana flipped through the pages trying to read the synopsis of the show, but he could hardly see straight with Dan now kissing and biting his neck and wrapping his hand around his cock. 

“Well? What’s it about?” Dan asked, licking a wet trail to his collarbone. 

“Fuck knows,” Pana said tossing the script onto the bedside table, “I can’t concentrate on reading with you doing that to my neck.” He pronounced it ‘nick’ which made Dan groan with desire. 

Dan had tuned into Pana’s accent but now and again a word popped out that made his heart flip and made him want to hug and squeeze the beautiful dark-haired man until he broke. Yesterday it had been ‘men’ which he’d pronounced ‘min’ today it was ‘nick’. Dan couldn’t help himself, he rolled them over, tumbling on top of him and smothering him with kisses. He glanced at the bedside clock, they still had four hours before they were due at the studio that afternoon; more than enough time for everything he wanted to do to Pana, plus a long, playful shower before the drive to work. Whatever the interesting looking envelopes from the mysterious DeKnight Productions were offering, they could wait until later, right now the only thing Dan was interested in was the man beneath him who was starting to moan with need, and promising to do things with his tongue that he had learned who knows where, but had long since been lost in the brothels of antiquity.

***

Epilogue

Sometimes there exists a love so strong that not even time and history can diminish it. This was how it was for Nasir and Agron, an ordinary but fierce-spirited body-slave, and a brave, noble gladiator. 

Some souls are so connected, so bound to each other and to a point in time, that they will be born over and over again so that they may meet and replay their stories together again. When that happens, that is when the gods truly rejoice. And sometimes when the gods are feeling particularly playful and when the stars align just right, it happens that fate conspires with history to repeat itself. 

And so it was that from a small office in Los Angeles, a stack of black and gold embossed envelopes made their way to the furthermost reaches of the globe. Ancient souls began to stir and long forgotten memoires began to surface in people from all corners of the earth. 

A year later, in a converted warehouse, under a cloudy New Zealand sky, old enemies greeted each other with cautious smiles and careful handshakes. Friends, brothers, and lovers rushed into the arms of strangers they had never seen before in this lifetime, and clung together weeping joyful tears of reunion. 

“Dustin have you met Todd?” the producer asked, introducing the two blond actors. 

“I’ll have your fucking head this time mate,” the long-haired man said with a mischievous grin. 

“You can try, but I wouldn’t count on it slave,” came the jovial reply, sparkling blue eyes diminishing the malice behind a wolfish grin. 

On the other side of the room another reunion was taking place. 

“I never thought I’d be happy to lay eyes on a shit eating Gaul,” Dan smiled at a large, muscular man with jet black crew-cut hair. 

Manu turned, a moment of irritation passing, the sudden urge to punch Dan subsiding as they hugged each other and Manu shook his head in disbelief.

“Agron, from the lands East of the Rhine,” he said, smiling at the young Australian actor, feeling a little bit confused at how close he felt to him considering they had never met before that day. 

“Are you Dan?” said a voice behind him. Dan turned and a sound like a squeak left his lips. 

“Brother…” was the only word his choked voice let him say as he hugged an actor named Ande and felt the man’s tears wetting his neck as they clung to each other. 

From a short distance away Pana watched the tears, the joy and the bristling tensions as old souls found their mates and their adversaries again. A moment ago, an attractive woman had tapped him on the shoulder, “Hi, I’m Cynthia,” she said in a soft American accent. 

“Naevia!” Pana exclaimed and hugged her tightly. “I’ve missed you,” he said. 

“I’ve missed you too, which is kinda weird since I’ve never met you before,” she laughed. 

Before Pana could reply he heard someone shout “Little Man!,” and felt himself hoisted into the air and flung over a man’s shoulder. His head hung upside-down level with the man’s waist, his fists pummelling the man’s ass as he was carried across the floor. 

“Lugo! Put me down you simple shit,” Pana howled with laughter. 

Sitting quietly off to the side on his own, a man with startlingly blue eyes watched the gathering crowd around him. He smiled at the tears of joy they shed, and listened to their perplexed words as they suddenly realized that they knew things and remembered things about people they had never set eyes on before. He looked down at the script in his lap, running his finger over the name of the character he was to play, it was a special name, the lead character, Spartacus. As his fingertip touched the printing, a memory surfaced and he realized that he knew something. A secret. His secret. A soft smile played on his lips and he thought to himself, I know his name.

By fate or miracle, old souls had found themselves back together once more and were about to play out their stories again, living their lives, finding their loves, meeting their deaths, and telling their tales to the modern world.

And from the heavens, the gods looked down, and smiled.

THE END.

  
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